"It is a loss impossible to describe," Jolie told NBC News in a statement. "We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly."

Jolie is the director of Unbroken and had met Zamperini, who was also her Los Angeles neighbor. She told Deadline that she and partner Brad Pitt had waited anxiously for a call from studio Universal Pictures to find out if she would be chosen to helm the film. The movie is based on Zamperini's life and stars British actor Jack O'Connell as the war hero.Unbroken was co-written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen and is set for release on Dec. 25.